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Tinder, a dating app for iPhones and Androids, is stealing a page from the Snapchat playbook. A new feature called "Moments" enables Tinder users to share annotated pictures that disappear after 24 hours with people they have "matched" with.
Tinder is an app intended to help users meet new people, and make snap judgements by swiping left (reject) or right (approval) on pictures, which are typically culled from Facebook profiles. If two people swipe right on each other, then they are a match. Users could already chat through the app with their matches, but the addition of "Moments" could turn Tinder to an all-in-one sexting sensation.
CEO Sean Rad told Business Insider that Moments is intended to "help users get to know their matches better," but the move feels like the first shot of a war against Snapchat, an app solely based on disappearing momentary photos.
The time it takes for the picture to disappear could prove problematic. In Snapchat, annotated photos disappear 10 seconds after being viewed, limiting the window of opportunity for users to take screengrabs. A 24 hour pre-expiration period increases the danger that images shared could be preserved permanently.